Mr. Lincoln’s Office Mr. Lincoln’s office was the center of the Lincoln White House — where Cabinet Meetings were held on Tuesday and Friday, where the President met most officials and guests, read and answered his mail, where his hair was… Abraham Lincoln’s White House >

Mr. Lincoln’s Stories Mr. Lincoln liked stories. He liked to hear them and he liked to tell them. And, he liked to use them to suggest a moral or evade a clear statement of opinion. Mr. Lincoln knew words were important. Stories were an evasive tactic for Lincoln. His penchant for stories both… Abraham Lincoln’s […]

President Lincoln’s Funeral Mr. Lincoln died on Saturday, April 15. On Tuesday, April 18, 1865 President Lincoln lay in state in the East Room on an eleven-foot high catafalque designed by Commissioner of Public Building Benjamin French. Preparations had gone on virtually uninterrupted since the President’s body had been moved back to… Abraham Lincoln’s White […]

Second Inaugural Levee On March 4, 1865, an open reception was held here following the Presidential inauguration. “From 8 til 1/4 past 11 the president shook hands steadily, at the rate of 100 every 4 minutes – with about 5,000 persons! Over, rather than under, for I counted the 10 several times, and when they…” […]

General Grant’s Promotion The appearance of General Ulysses S. Grant at a March 8, 1864 White House levee turned the event into near bedlam. Grant had already caused a near-riot at Willard’s Hotel when his presence was revealed about 9:30 PM. The crowd at the Tuesday levee in the East Room reacted with… Abraham Lincoln’s […]

Reception for General Tom Thumb On February 13, 1863, a honeymoon Party was held at the White House for Charles S. Stratton and Livinia Warren, who had been married shortly before in New York City. “He was twenty-four years old, thirty-two inches high, and weight twenty-one pounds. She was…” Abraham Lincoln’s White House >

Emancipation Proclamation The President first began designing the Proclamation at the beginning of the summer in 1862. He discussed with his Cabinet, who recommended that he delay its release until after a Union victory. Shortly after the Battle of Antietam, after which Confederates retreated from the Maryland battlefield, the President released a… Abraham Lincoln’s White […]

Redecoration and Willie’s Death On February 5, 1862, Mary Lincoln organized a major ball in the East Room, followed by a late dinner in the State Dining Room. She had invited 500 representatives of Washington society to show off the redecorated White House, her own new dress, and… Abraham Lincoln’s White House >

Edwin Stanton’s Home Edwin Stanton’s home was located near Franklin Square, a short walk from the White House and the War Department. As Secretary of War, Stanton lived in the style of the prosperous attorney he had been before the war — but without the income he had before the war. He bought the land […]

William H. Seward’s House The home of the President’s Secretary of State faced Lafayette Park on Madison Place near Pennsylvania Avenue. The three-story building had an impressive history long before the President had made his frequent visits. The “Old Clubhouse” had been built in… Abraham Lincoln’s White House >